


New Year's Eve

by amirellani



Series: this love left a permanent mark [2]
Category: Actor RPF, American Actor RPF, Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Marriage Proposal, New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve Party, This came out of nowhere, cheesiest cheese of a NYE fic, rooftop bar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 01:57:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5609533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amirellani/pseuds/amirellani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even at a New Year's Eve party, surrounded by some of Hollywood's finest, Sebastian and Cassie manage to find a moment for themselves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Year's Eve

**Author's Note:**

> So I never planned on continuing Cassie and Sebastian's story. And then NYE came around and I just needed to write a story for it and this happened. So it's completely cheesy and cliche but hopefully adorable at the same time.

Sipping from her cocktail slowly, Cassie let her eyes drift across the crowded rooftop and out over the Hudson River. The city lights sparkled on the smooth, dark canvas of water. Another familiar burst of laughter sounded beside her, and Cassie glanced at her boyfriend.

They were at a rooftop bar in New York, having been invited to the New Year’s Eve party by Robert Downey Junior a couple of weeks ago. At least, he’d invited Sebastian – along with what looked to be the entire A-list. Naturally, Cassie was Sebastian’s plus one. They’d been at the party for two hours now, but almost as soon as they’d arrived several of Sebastian’s friends had pounced on him. She knew a few of them. She’d been introduced when she’d visited Sebastian on set while he was filming the Captain America movies. Other than Chris, though, the rest of the group were firmly Sebastian’s friends, not hers. They’d been talking ever since, and Cassie was beginning to feel a little left out. Regardless of how slowly she’d nursed her first drink, her glass was almost empty.

Sebastian laughed again, and looked at her. Pressed firmly against his side at the table his friends had claimed, Cassie forced a grin onto her face. Truthfully, she had no idea what they’d just been talking about. It looked like Chris was onto her, because he was smirking at her from across the table. At the same time, one of Sebastian’s eyebrows arched in concern.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah, of course,” she said at once. “I was just looking around.”

Feeling eyes on them, Cassie concentrated on making her smile more genuine. Sebastian leaned down and kissed her gently, ignoring the smug grins on his friends’ faces as he did so. He returned to his conversation when he pulled away, and Cassie stared down at her empty glass.

“Bash,” she said suddenly, as soon as there was a break in their chatter. “I’m going to get another drink. Do you want one?”

“I’m good, babe,” he replied.

Sebastian kissed her on the cheek before she stood up, leaving his side to navigate her way through the crowd and towards the bar.

 

* * *

 

“I couldn’t help noticing, Seb,” began Grillo, taking a swig from his beer. “Your woman isn’t wearing a ring yet.”

Sebastian targeted the man with his best withering, unimpressed glower, and shared the expression around when a couple of the guys sniggered. He rolled his eyes, before he looked over to where Cassie was standing at the bar. She made an absolutely gorgeous picture tonight, in a lacy red cocktail dress that clung to her figure and her blonde hair falling in loose curls onto her shoulders. He slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a box.

“That’s because I’m asking her tonight.”

Silence settled across the table, for only a brief moment before they all started talking at once. The guys closest to him clapped him on the back.

“Hey, hey, hey, take it easy,” protested Sebastian. “I haven’t proposed yet, and she definitely hasn’t said yes yet.”

“She will,” Grillo said at once.

“I hope so.” Sebastian tucked the box back into his pocket, glancing in the direction of the bar again to make sure Cassie hadn’t seen anything.

“Seriously, wiener soldier. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Grillo tipped his beer up and drained it. “The way the two of you look at each other? You get down on one knee, there’s no way she’ll say anything but yes.”

Sebastian exchanged a wry look with Chris. The other man shrugged, shaking his head.

“Don’t look at me. I’ve been telling you that for weeks.”

 

* * *

 

“Could I get another Ocean Breeze?”

“Sure. Won’t be long,” the young woman replied with a grin.

As the bartender bustled off, Cassie rested her elbows on the countertop. Both her eyes and her thoughts drifted as she waited, taking in the celebrities, both major and minor, gathered in clumps across the rooftop. She recognised many of them, from movies, television shows, and the covers of trashy magazines, as well as the handful of premieres she’d attended with Sebastian. Without him next to her right now, though, she felt out of place. She was a writer, a freelance journalist. She didn’t belong here without her notebook and recorder.

The bartender slid her drink towards her. Cassie’s hand twitched towards her purse before she remembered that she didn’t have to pay. Robert Downey Junior was covering the entire evening, and that most likely included sizable tips for the staff. She murmured her thanks, and sipped from the cocktail.

Cassie almost choked on her mouthful of alcohol when someone nudged her in the ribs. Swallowing carefully and spluttering a little, she turned to see Scarlett, both husbandless and childless, standing next to her. She set down her drink and hugged the shorter woman tightly.

“I should have known you’d be here somewhere,” said Cassie happily. “God, it feels like forever since we last saw each other.”

Scarlett laughed. “Not quite forever. I think it was when you visited the Civil War set that last time, before filming moved to Berlin.”

“Wasn’t that, like, the end of July?”

“Maybe,” said Scarlett, shrugging. “Okay, so maybe it has been forever.”

“Exactly,” Cassie agreed. She smiled. “Anyway. Is Romain here, or is he looking after Rose?”

“Rose is with her grandparents. Romain is here, somewhere. He found some people he knew, you know what men are like.”

Rolling her eyes, Cassie sipped her drink and nodded in commiseration.

“I know exactly what you mean. The same thing happened to Bash when we got here, Chris and some of the others pretty much kidnapped him. How is Rose? You have new pictures, I’m sure.”

Scarlett pulled out her phone and Cassie cooed over the baby.

“She’s so much bigger already!”

“Of course she is! Babies don’t stop growing just because you don’t see them. But enough about my life,” remarked Scarlett, tucking her phone away again. She signaled the bartender, and ordered a drink of her own. “How are you? How is Sebastian? I haven’t seen him yet.”

“We’re good,” said Cassie at once. “Things are good, better than good, really. He’s – I don’t think I could find a better guy, you know?”

Scarlett smiled. “I know.”

Her drink arrived and she lifted it, holding it out. Recognising the request for a toast, Cassie lifted her own drink. Their glasses met in midair, chiming quietly, and both women drank.

“I heard about your Dad,” Scarlett said softly. “I’m so sorry, Cassie. How are you doing?”

Cassie took another, larger gulp of her cocktail. The alcohol burned her throat slightly, but she relished the feeling. Barely two months after her father’s death, it was still difficult for her to talk about.

“Thanks,” she murmured. “It’s – it’s hard. There are good days and bad days. But I’ve got Bash. He’s been amazing.”

“You’re in safe hands. He’s the sweetest guy. Well, not as sweet as my guy, of course,” she said, winking. “But he’s right up there.”

“He really is,” said Cassie quietly. Her eyes darted over to Sebastian, still with his group of friends, and then back to Scarlett suddenly. “Hey, maybe you could explain something for me. Why do the guys call him wiener soldier? How did that nickname even start?”

Scarlett started laughing, but before she could say anything someone called out loudly.

“Ten minutes, everyone!”

Cheers rang out across the rooftop. Cassie shook her head, but couldn’t help smiling at how excited everyone was. She glanced at Scarlett, who was scanning the crowds.

“I should find Romain,” she said, just as Chris sidled up beside them. Greeting Scarlett with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, he then focused on Cassie.

“So this is where you disappeared to,” he joked. “Seb is looking for you, Cassie. He’s over by the balcony.”

He and Scarlett exchanged a strange, knowing look as Cassie thanked him for letting her know. She left to find her boyfriend, rolling her eyes when she knew Chris and Scarlett wouldn’t be able to see it. That had been weird.

 

* * *

 

Half-finished drink in hand, Cassie found Sebastian easily enough. Although he’d separated from the group, he’d barely moved from where she’d left him earlier. He was leaning on the balcony, and twisted to look at Cassandra as she approached him. A breathtaking smile split his face when he caught sight of her. Cassie smiled back at him shyly, slightly overwhelmed by the raw happiness she could see on his face. As soon as she was close enough, he rested his hands on her hips and greeted her with an Eskimo kiss.

“Have I told you how amazing you look tonight?” he asked softly, his nose still touching Cassie’s, and she giggled.

“Yeah. You have. Dork.”

“Well, I’m telling you again. You’re stunning, Cass.”

“Thanks. You’re not too shabby yourself,” she murmured in reply, feeling her cheeks heat up.

“Five minutes!”

Sebastian stepped back and looked around, before taking the drink out of Cassie’s hand. He set it down on the closest table as the noise level around them increased with excitement. Cassie tilted her head in surprise, especially when Sebastian took both of her hands in his and pulled her a little further away from the rest of the crowd. There was an odd expression on his face, one that Cassie couldn’t quite define because she’d never seen it before.

“Bash, what’s wrong?” she asked, puzzled.

“ _Te iubesc_ ,” he blurted out, and then smiled crookedly, shaking his head. “I’m more nervous than I thought I would be. Sorry.” ( _I love you_.)

“Nervous about what?”

He shushed her, squeezing her hands and frowning playfully. Cassie pouted back at him.

“Okay. Let me start this again. I love you, Cassie. We’ve been together for over three years now and saying they’ve been the best three years of my life feels like the biggest understatement.”

She blinked, not knowing what to say.

“I feel like the luckiest man in the world, every morning I wake up next to you. And I want to wake up next to you for the rest of my life.”

Sebastian let go off Cassie’s hands. Sinking down to one knee, he pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. Cassie gasped, her empty, shaking hands flying up to cover her mouth.

“Cassandra Marie Coleman,” said Sebastian slowly, opening the box to reveal a stunningly simple, solitaire diamond ring. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “ _Da_. Yes, yes, yes, yes, _yes_.”

She pulled Sebastian to his feet and crushed her lips to his. A few happy tears slid down her cheeks and he laughed into her mouth. They separated slowly, and Sebastian slid the ring onto her finger. Fireworks crackled around them as he entwined his fingers with Cassie’s.

“Happy New Year!”

The cheering blended in with the fireworks, creating a loud, buzzing noise in the background that barely registered with Cassie. Grinning broadly, Sebastian kissed her again. This kiss was soft and sweet, and Cassie could feel his love for her as his lips moved and molded against hers.

When they pulled apart, she whispered, “I love you, Sebastian. I love you so much, you have no idea.”

“Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea,” he murmured, still smiling. “I love you too, beautiful.”

Looking down at her hand, Cassie couldn’t help smiling as well.

 

* * *

 

As the fireworks petered out and the furor around them settled down, Cassie and Sebastian were in a world of their own. Cassie’s hands were still tangled with Sebastian’s. His fingers moved over her ring, memorizing the new addition to her hand. She hadn’t been this happy since – _since her father died_. Swallowing, Cassie leaned forward. She pressed her face into Sebastian’s chest, wanting to hide the tears that had sprung up in her eyes the instant the realization had smacked into her. His hands slid down her arms, wrapping around her waist.

“Cass, what’s wrong? Oh God, please don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind. I mean, you can, there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re allowed to change your mind. Please don’t cry, baby.”

Cassie shook her head. Withdrawing from Sebastian’s shirt, she wiped at her damp eyes and stared up at him.

“No,” she said quickly. “No, I’m not changing my mind, God, Bash. You’re not getting this ring off my finger until you’re replacing it with another one. I just – I remembered. Dad.”

“Oh,” exhaled Sebastian, so quietly it was barely audible. His arms tightened around her. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’ll be okay.”

“I know you will be,” murmured Sebastian. “I – was going to ask you sooner. I wanted your Dad’s permission. Old-fashioned, I know. I was going to ask him that weekend and then. You know.”

Cassie slid her arms around her fiancé’s waist, mirroring his hold on her. Her smile was wobbly, but at least she wasn’t crying.

“He would have given it. He adored you, nearly as much as I do.”

Biting his lip, Sebastian didn’t know what to say as he stared into Cassandra’s glistening green eyes. Apparently he didn’t have to say anything, as she stretched up on tiptoe to press another kiss to his lips. Sebastian smiled tentatively, before twitching in surprise when Cassie was pulled away from him.

“Oh my God, Cassie!” If he didn’t know Scarlett better, Sebastian would say she was squealing as she examined Cassie’s ring. “Congratulations!”

As Scarlett cooed over the ring and Cassie smiled at Sebastian sheepishly over her shoulder, Chris sidled up to Sebastian. He nudged him with an elbow and clapped him on the back.

“Women and jewellery, right?” joked Chris. “Congratulations. Told you so.”

“Yeah, yeah. I was the only one worried she’d say no,” Sebastian drawled. “Rub it in. Just wait until it’s your turn.”

Chris just laughed loudly. “I’m your best man, right?”

Eying him, Sebastian shrugged.

“Dunno. I’ll have to think about it.”

 

* * *

 

Curled up in bed later that night, the only light in the room was the soft, dull glow of the street lamps filtering in through the window. Cassie’s fingers moved across Sebastian’s chest, tracing patterns on his warm, bare skin. The diamond on her new engagement ring caught the light, prompting a content, lazy smile from Cassie. Sebastian wriggled, opening bleary eyes and blinking. Moving slowly, he covered her hand with his own and pressed it flat against his chest.

“I love you, too,” he mumbled sleepily. “Go to sleep, Cass.”

The darkness hid Cassie’s blush as she rolled over, half-draping herself over Sebastian. Hopefully he was so tired he wouldn’t remember, in the morning, that she’d been tracing ‘I love you’ repetitively across his chest. He would never let her hear the end of it otherwise.


End file.
